Improving the Physical and Fiscal Health of Healthcare Organizations

Physician Burnout Solutions

It’s an unfortunate truth, but physician burnout is a prevalent problem across the nation. Physicians are struggling to keep up with the demands and stresses of their position, leading to dissatisfaction, poor patient care, and resignation. Let’s address the roots of this issue, and some possible solutions.

Physician Burnout Causes

Physician burnout has fallen to new lows. An article by eMedCert notes that nearly one out of every two physicians felt burnt out, according to a 2015 study; that’s a staggering statistic. So what are the causes of physician burnout?

Demanding Schedules

Doctors are forced to work long hours and/or irregular hours with highly demanding duties. These demanding schedules can wear on a physician, both mentally and physically, and that can cause burnout.

High Stress

Physicians are overworked, and they deal with highly stressful scenarios on a day-to-day basis. Unresolved stress can build up and boil over, causing a practitioner to feel burnt out.

Negativity

There’s a degree of negativity inherent in the healthcare field. Since doctors often work with illness and death, it can be difficult to remain positive. This environment can be demoralizing for certain physicians.

Resolving Physician Burnout

We’ve assessed a few of the common causes of physician burnout; now let’s take some time to look at viable solutions.

Restructuring Schedules

If demanding schedules are a downer, it’s time to make a change. Physicians need a proper work-life balance to ensure that they stay healthy and happy. If you manage physician scheduling, consider adding extra staff members to provide some relief when resources are stretched too thin. Also, ask your staff about the hours they’d like to work. While you may not be able to cater to every need, you’ll likely be able to provide some reprieve for your staff members. In addition, try to stay consistent. When doctors are constantly on call, it can be difficult to relax and truly enjoy time off.

Overcoming Stress

Mitigate stress by providing support for your doctors. Offset demanding day-to-day tasks with breaks and activities aimed at destressing your physician staff. You can provide plenty of time off and give guilt-free breaks. Or bring in a massage therapist to give staff members some relaxation. You can encourage staff to exercise (It’s a great stress reducer.), and promote coworker culture (Socializing can be a great stress outlet as well.).

Promoting Positivity

Doctors often feel down about illness and death. That’s why it’s so important to remember that practitioners are philanthropic in their work. Doctors heal people. They provide care for those of us that need it most. It can be difficult, but it’s best to focus on the positivity that physicians bring to the world. Try promoting positivity and mindfulness to deter physician burnout.

The SelfCare for HealthCare™ Solution

SelfCare for HealthCare provides services to mitigate physician burnout, including motivational speaking from LeAnn Thieman, author, nurse, and SelfCare for HealthCare’s founder. Healthcare facilities seeking solutions for physician burnout will love our program. Learn more about SelfCare for HealthCare, or get in touch with us!